The Bookworm and the Princess of Tennis
by chromate
Summary: He didn't expect the school's brightest star was actually a book lover like him. AU ArminXKrista.


Greetings everyone. My name is Chromate, and this is my first _Attack on Titan_ fanfic. I'm mainly active in the _Digimon_ fandom, but I have wanted to try a _Titan _story since I first read the manga. Even though I'm more of an ArminXAnnie fan, I think Armin and Krista look cute together too, so I'll give it a shot. This is intended to be a short read, so I hope you won't find it too rushed at the end.

Plot: He didn't expect the school's brightest star was actually a book lover like him.

Genre: Romance, Friendship

Starring: Armin, Krista, Eren; Ilse Langnar; (brief mention only) Bertolt, Mikasa, Ymir

Pairings: ArminXKrista

I hope you enjoy the story! I recommend reading in ½ page size to get the feeling of reading a book.

* * *

With a stretch of his arms and a long yawn, Armin Arlert was glad the day had finally come to an end.

He surveyed the school library carefully with his ocean blue eyes. As the librarian on duty on Friday, he was responsible for closing down the place before he left. It was a two-person job, but his librarian partner, Bertolt Hoover, had called in sick today, so Armin spent the last hour doing all the work by himself. As it was almost six o'clock, he was prepared to turn off the lights, lock the place, and be ready to go.

Before he could do any of the above, however, he had to wait for the sole student in the library to finish finding whatever she was looking for. It didn't take long for Armin to recognize the said girl. Krista Lenz was the school's idol: top grades, ace of the tennis team, born in a rich family, and most importantly, a kind personality and a beautiful face that would make any straight guy blush and drool. Of the various polls his classmates had conducted, she always came out among the top three hottest girls in the school. What the princess of tennis was doing in the library, he had no idea, and he had no right to ask either. He didn't know her personally and she didn't know him. He just had to be a dutiful librarian and wait for her to be done. At least her fans were not following her today. He had witnessed how the blonde's fans trailed after her all the time. It was incredibly creepy, and they looked more like harassing her than admiring her. Obsessed teenagers could be such a pain sometimes.

Armin flipped over another page of the book he was reading, enjoying the silence in the spacious area. Not many people would still stay in school by this hour. It was Friday, after all, and anyone would jump at the chance of leaving school early. Usually his best friends, Eren Jaeger and Mikasa Ackerman, would wait for him, but both of them were not present. Eren had to help his father at his clinic today, and Mikasa had gymnastic practice at another school. Armin sighed. Walking home by himself felt lonely, but he knew he could do nothing about it.

'Excuse me.'

A feminine voice made him look up from the book he was reading. He shouldn't be surprised, logically speaking, since they were the only two people in the library, but he was still taken aback to find the face of the beautiful blonde right in front of him.

'I'm hoping to find a book, but I couldn't find it. Could you help me on that?' Krista carefully asked, her fingers playing with her shoulder-length hair and her body fidgeted slightly. Armin knew she had a reputation of being quiet and shy, but he still felt she did not have to act like he was a hormone-driven teenager who was stripping her naked with his eyes.

'Sure,' he politely replied and put down his book. He turned his attention to the computer search engine. 'What book are you looking for?'

'"_The Diary of Ilse Langnar",_ by Tomotaka Mishima.' (*)

Armin froze for a second before raising his head to look at Krista with wide eyes. He wasn't surprised by the name of the book, for it was a bestseller fiction now, written by an anonymous teenage author who won the newcomer's award last year. He just didn't expect a rich girl, a _perfect_ girl like her, would be interested in a book like this. It just felt weird to associate a tennis girl with a book of this genre. The book was infamous for depicting the characters' existential crisis and challenging morality. The psychological struggle of the protagonists was its selling point. The romance part was brutally ripped apart by the end of the story. It was considered a dark novel by many critics, and was more popular with college students and young adults who would welcome the end of the world with open arms. He didn't expect a fellow sixteen-year-old girl would want to read this book.

'…did I say something wrong?'

Krista's worried tone broke him from his stunned state, and he quickly offered a weak, apologetic smile. 'I'm sorry, but we don't have that in the library. The teachers do not approve of its content and do not deem it suitable for senior high students to read.'

The blonde was clearly disappointed by his answer, and Armin could only sympathize. He was aware of how some adults perceived the book. As a book lover, he paid special attention to how people judged every book, particularly those by new authors. Some said the book was too dark and apocalyptic that devalued human nature. Some said it made readers 'suffocate from despair' for its realistic depiction and cruel description of humanity. Some said it failed to offer a solution on how to solve class struggle. Some said it did not have enough female characters in it. At least, there was a group of faithful followers who praised the author's debut novel for challenging existing values and boldly detailing the dark side of human psyche.

'Why do you want to read it?' Armin asked out of pure curiosity. After so many harsh comments by critics, he was surprised a young girl like her would want to read such a thing.

Krista looked around his desk uncomfortably, as if debating with herself on whether she should answer his question at all. She ultimately decided to tell him why. 'To be honest, I'm a fan of Mishima-sensei. I've been following his work since he won the newcomer prize last year, and I really hope to read his first full novel.'

To say he was surprised would be an understatement. Students nowadays did not even know who Dostoevsky or Kafka was, and now the princess of tennis was saying she had been following the newbie author for over a year?

'I thought about buying it,' Krista continued, 'but my family does not approve of this kind of book. They think it's not suitable for me to read, and they'll be mad if they find a copy of this in my room.' The blonde girl sighed and looked distressed. 'I thought I could borrow it from the library at least, but…' she trailed off, at loss of what to do. Armin gave her a sympathetic look. For someone who loved books, not being allowed to read was blasphemy.

'I can give you one copy.' Even though technically they didn't know each other, Armin couldn't help but offer a Samaritan hand to the helpless girl. 'I have a copy at home, and I can bring it over to you next Monday.'

Krista's blue eyes glistered, and a pleasantly startled smile formed on her face. 'Really? You could give me one? But I don't want to bother you…I know! I can pay you back for it.'

'You don't have to,' Armin laughed off her suggestion. 'I'm glad to help other book lovers in need.'

'Thank you so much!' Krista squealed and shook Armin's hands in delight. It took her a while to notice the librarian's odd face and burning cheeks, and she blushed from embarrassment as she let go of his hands quickly.

'S–sorry,' she muttered and recomposed herself. 'Thank you very much again…ah…'

'Armin,' the blond boy gulped, his hand still reminiscing the tender touch of her skin. 'My name is Armin Arlert. Class 2-C.'

'Thank you, Armin,' Krista smiled. 'Krista Lenz. Class 2-F. I couldn't meet on Monday after school as I have tennis practice. How about we meet at lunch in the rooftop?'

Armin hesitated for a brief second. Didn't that sound like a date, in a casual sense? It's just a boy and a girl in the rooftop, of all places, after all. He could understand that Krista did not want unnecessary attention, but still...however, he could not handle those pair of puppy eyes that were glowing with much expectation.

'Alright,' he agreed, wondering if he really had made the right decision.

'Great!' Krista beamed and jumped in excitement, earning a laugh from the blond librarian. She looked at the clock, and noticed it was past six o'clock already. She gasped.

'Oh my, I have to go now!' She quickly grabbed her bag and flashed Armin an apologetic nod. 'See you on Monday then, Armin!' With that, she excitedly exited the library, leaving Armin behind by himself as he watched her bounce away from the area.

He carefully put his things in his bag and tried to recollect his thoughts. He wondered if Eren would make fun of him for catching a 'date' with one of the hottest girls in school. Mikasa might frown, and Bertolt would surely be angry that he missed this moment. But then, it was just a friendly exchange of books. There was nothing more to it, he concluded.

He shut the door of the library and locked the door. He had to walk home by himself, but somehow, he didn't feel as lonely as he had expected.

* * *

Thus began a strange friendship between him and one of the most sought-after girls of the school. Two weeks had passed, and Armin was still somewhat perplexed by the situation.

Every day, they would meet in the rooftop during lunchtime, or in a secret corner in the library after school. Armin would always find an excuse to send Bertolt away early, so that Krista could sneak into the library, after opening hour was over, to discuss literature or just read with him. Ever the innocent and considerate girl, the tennis star had assured him that she was hoping to get away from her fan club members and that she didn't want Armin to get into any trouble for being spotted with her, and Armin fully understood. Boys who were seen talking to her in public either had to face the wrath of Ymir, Krista's protective best friend, or the rest of the male population. He didn't want to deal with either.

He originally had thought that their brief friendship would end after she finished the book he lent her, and it thoroughly surprised him that she finished _'The Diary of Ilse Langnar' _in only three days, having read it twice in the process. It amazed him how much she loved the author's work and could go on forever about what she liked and did not like about the book. He was completely taken aback, and even moved to tears that there finally was someone who could understand his feelings for books. Eren and Mikasa were never big readers, and Bertolt preferred watching basketball games to discussing books.

As he watched Krista describing tales from her childhood, he thought about the shock she gave him when she asked to keep meeting like this after their rooftop session. It happened after she casually asked if he had other book recommendations, and they started to make a list of books that they could lend each other to read. For two consecutive weeks, they would follow the same routine of exchanging books and reviews about them. It gradually turned into a more casual conversation between the two who shared completely different family background.

At first he felt very weird, for he wondered if the girl born in a prestigious family would be interested in his ordinary life. Of course, he had forgotten that she was the 'goddess of the school', someone whose understanding smile could heal whatever mental wound one had. Armin felt like a spoilt child at times, for he had the privilege of seeing her beautiful face every day and hearing her innocent laughter when he tried to make some jokes. No matter how blue he was feeling on a certain day, that smile could always pull him out of the nadir. He felt more and more attracted to her every day, and he would be lying to say if he did not fantasize about being more than friends with her. It was impossible to deny he didn't have any interest in the girl, who unexpectedly shared his passion for literature, and was the dream girlfriend of every male, but he knew they were of different classes.

A true goddess, Armin reckoned, however cliché that might sound. But a goddess did not belong on earth. The Tanabata Festival was commemorated for the separation of the weaver girl and the cowherd, not the union of the lovers. (**)

Plus, when he spent more thoughts on it, there was no way someone as angelic as Krista Lenz would share the same feeling. He was just a bookworm, a dutiful librarian who loved to indulge himself in words and literature. There was nothing special about him, and he wasn't particularly good-looking or muscular either. Didn't girls of his age like boys with well-built bodies?

Still, there was nothing wrong with just thinking about it, right? After all, who could resist the remarkable beauty and the compelling charm of Krista Lenz? He watched her tennis practice a few times, and he could understand completely why the whole male population of the school drooled over her. The way the tennis uniform clung to her well-developed, sixteen-year-old body, and the seducing movement of her skirt as she dashed around the court were sufficient enough to cause a massive nosebleed among the male spectators. Her natural beauty, in addition to her elegant posture of swinging her racquet, was the reason why many fans, girls included, were seen holding their cameras as they watched her seal the match with a fierce backhand.

However, even though she undoubtedly shone on the tennis court, Armin was fonder of the other side of her that, selfishly speaking, only he had the privilege of witnessing. Compared to her sporty feature, Armin was more drawn into the way her blue eyes lingered on a page of the book and how reluctant she seemed to turn over the paper in order to treasure each word she read. Such was their private moment after school, when the library was closed, and it was only them, alone, in the place surrounded by hidden treasure. It was a mystery to him how someone so bright on the outdoor area could display such angelic aura as well when she was sitting on the corner of the library, reading silently with him. Was it the way she casually flipped her hair to the back of her ear? Or was it the passion in her eyes that made his heart jump? Every once in a while, she would catch his staring, and she would giggle when he awkwardly turned his head away with a faint blush on his face.

'It's rude to stare at a girl like that, Armin,' she joked, and for reasons he could not comprehend they would both smile timidly afterwards. 'Unless...'

'Unless...?'

Krista grinned and turned her focus back to the book she was reading. Armin blinked, but decided not to question further. Often he wondered why Krista liked to tease him like that, but he could never figure out a logical explanation for it. After reading a few more pages, Krista looked up again and met his gaze. This time, she did not turn away.

'What...' Armin began, but shut his mouth when, without consciously knowing how, he found her leaning closer to him, their faces just inches apart, their eyes never departing from the other's intense gaze. Since when did she gather up the courage to be so bold? And why couldn't he move his face away? Was he expecting what he was thinking? He couldn't even talk to her without stuttering! Still, when he felt her palms holding his cheeks and his hands on her shoulders, he made up his mind to throw logic out of the window and just let himself be carried away by the moment.

'Armin! Are you ready to go...oh.'

And of course, like the fictions he had read, an intruder always had a knack for spoiling the big moment with a perfect timing.

With a disappointed grunt, Armin raised his head to find Eren, his best friend since childhood, standing by the door with his jaws dropped. It didn't take a genius to realize, based on both Armin and Krista's flushed faces, that he had interrupted something. At loss of words, Eren just stood there, and let the awkward silence filled the room.

It was Krista who couldn't stand the silence anymore as she quickly gathered her stuff and rose from her seat. She muttered a quick apology and ran away from the scene with her face burning. It took Armin a while to understand what had happened, and then he yelled out her name.

'Krista, wait!'

The blonde girl stopped by the door, her back facing the librarian who was standing in panic. The air was still and the room was quiet. Both ignored the presence of an awkward Eren, who was eyeing the scene with amusement.

'There's a…' Armin gulped, and decided to let out his words that had been stuck in his throat for long, 'there's a private gathering this Sunday with the publishing company of Tomotaka Mishima-sensei, and I got tickets to go there…and…and Mishima-sensei will be there too…and…and…'

Krista slowly turned her head around, and from the corner of her eyes she could see how nervous Armin was. Over the weeks that they had befriended each other, she knew the boy was not an eloquent speaker. But while he lacked oratorical skills, he had a vast knowledge of many things in the world, and his prose was beautiful. She had read his compositions, and was amazed by the high quality of them. He even reminded her of none other than Mishima-sensei that she highly admired.

Right now, her crystal blue eyes landed on Armin's flustered face and waited for the boy to continue speaking. Her heart was still beating from the awkwardness a moment ago, and she wondered how she would have felt if their moment was not interrupted…

Armin saw her glancing at him, and that only made him feel even more pressurized than ever. Taking a deep breath and composing himself, he blurted out his final thoughts. 'W–would you want to go with me?'

If Eren was a few years younger, he would have laughed at how serious Armin appeared to be and how shocked Krista looked right now. Both parties were just staring at each other, without moving a single muscle. Both were trying to comprehend the words carefully, and Eren was very curious as to what were going through their minds.

Armin was preparing himself for the worst, but his hope was ignited when Krista looked at her with a soft smile. She turned back to face the blond directly, and bent her body forward, with her hands holding her bag behind her back. She offered a small smirk that seemed to be encouraging the blond.

'Is it a date?'

Eren had to try his best from bursting out laughing, but the bright smile that was slowly forming on his best friend's face told him to hold his emotion for now.

'Yes, it is!' Armin exclaimed, and Eren was left to wonder whose face was redder now.

Krista looked thoughtful for a second, but she bounced forward and stood in front of Armin. Surprised by the blonde's action, Armin was more taken aback when Krista pressed her lips on his left cheek.

'I can't wait,' she giggled, and danced away from the stunned boy with an equally flushed expression. When the shadow of Krista disappeared from their eyesight, Eren decided that he could no longer stand that innocent grin on his best friend and the way he was touching his cheek.

'Mishima-sensei's private gathering event? Isn't that the one your publisher is holding for you to meet with other authors two days later?'

Armin was still staring dreamily at the exit door where Krista had just left, and he merely nodded to Eren's question.

'So you haven't told her who you really are yet?'

Armin recalled the moment Krista shyly approached him in the counter to ask him about Mishima's book. He remembered the thrill of personally knowing someone who was excited about his work, published under a pseudonym, and how he had grown an interest in the girl ever since. But it wasn't just because she's a fan of his book that attracted him to her. He had come to know the real Krista Lenz that people did not see, and he was deeply attracted to that her, the real her.

'She'll know this Sunday,' Armin grinned. Eren looked doubtful, but decided to dismiss the thought. Deep down, he was happy for his friend, and that was good enough.

With a stretch of his arms, Armin picked up his bag and left the library in an uplifted mood. He couldn't wait for Sunday to come. More importantly, he couldn't wait to see her again soon.

* * *

_The End_

* * *

*'Ilse Langnar' is the character that appears on the 2nd special chapter of the manga. By chance, she encountered a titan who said she was 'Ymir's people' and didn't eat her at first. 'Mishima' and 'Tomotaka' are taken from the names of band members of Cinema Staff, the group that performed the second ED of the anime.

** Tanabata is a festival celebrated in Japan of a love tale between a weaver girl from the kingdom of heaven, and a poor cowherd on earth. It originates from China, and is a classic romance story in East Asia.

I hope you enjoyed this short piece. While I'll focus on my _Digimon _story, I may write a couple more _Titan_ one-shots later. Maybe next time it'll be an ArminXAnnie one.

Reviews will be deeply appreciated! Until next time!


End file.
